Ortho Metaphor
by eelahnie
Summary: "I think it will make us stronger. You know, like a bone. You have to break it in order for it to heal properly." An accident is the catalyst Callie and Arizona need to fix their broken relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey guys, so here is a new Calzona fic to tide us over during the hiatus from hell. In the first episode of the season Arizona wanted to use an ortho metaphor on her wife. That might not have been the brightest idea and thank goodness Alex stopped her from doing it. But what if that metaphor became a reality? Callie took care of Arizona for a year and now it's time for Arizona to return the favor. **

**Copious amounts of thank yous to MaybeIShouldGetACat for all her help with this. You're awesome!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's, Dora, Swiper, Boots, or the Dolphins. You know, in case you were wondering.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Arizona stood outside the painfully familiar yet foreign apartment door, Sofia hoisted up on her right hip and a bag of food over her left shoulder. It had been a long day filled with grueling surgeries but it was the blonde's night with her raven-haired little girl and that thought was the only thing that had gotten her through the day. Then around 4pm, April had informed her that Callie had taken a fall avoiding a speeding car and fractured her left ankle. She'd been patched up and sent home with pain meds and a bad attitude. Which was relatively commonplace these days. Still, the thought of Callie at home alone and in pain didn't sit well with the blonde, so she'd decided to spend her night with Sofia at the apartment…with Callie.<p>

Raising her left fist, she paused for a moment and took a deep breath before knocking. "Callie, its Arizona…I'm just going to…" She sighed as she let herself into the apartment, a miserable looking Callie on the couch in the living room with her foot propped up on the coffee table. She met the brunette's burning gaze for a moment before studiously avoiding it. Walking over to the island in the kitchen, she placed the food on the counter and then secured Sofia in her high chair. After dishing out a plate of pasta and bringing it to Callie along with some pain meds and a cup of water, Arizona fixed a plate for herself and Sofia and then settled in at the table.

"Why are you here?" came Callie's voice from behind Arizona, her food completely untouched.

"Because I thought Sofia would make you feel better and I wanted to make sure you were eating. Callie you need to eat. You'll feel better."

"I don't need your help, you can leave," Callie snapped back.

"Just let me help you. Like you said…you took care of me for a year." Arizona didn't like to look back on the time following her amputation. She had been unnecessarily cruel to her wife. But instead of dwelling on her past actions, she got up and wiped Sofia's mouth, the little girl making a mess of her dinner. She sighed before turning back to her wife. Ex-wife? Wife. "Do you want Sofia?"

She braced herself for the coming response, gritting her teeth when Callie shot back at her. "Of course I want Sofia, what kind of question is that?"

She decided not to mention that it was in fact her own night with their daughter but that she was willing to let Callie take her for the night. She swallowed and nodded before continuing, "Let me just get her bathed and in her pajamas then."

"Whatever," Callie dismissed her. Arizona unfastened the straps of Sofia's high chair, lifting her out of it and carrying her into the bathroom. She shut the door, effectively separating them from Callie's poisonous attitude. For the next fifteen minutes, it would just be her and her little girl. She engaged Sofia in conversation as the tub quickly filled before removing her messy clothes and lifting her into the water.

Handing Sofia her little rubber penguin, Arizona watched her dip the toy under the water and play with the bubbles as she stroked her hair. "I know. We were going to watch Dora tonight Sof, but your Mama needs you right now. I know you'll be good for her." She smiled as Sofia let out a giggle and splashed her hands and feet, sending a few bubbles floating into the air.

From her perch on the couch, Callie sneered to herself. Of course Arizona got to enjoy bath time with Sofia while she was stuck in the living room like an invalid. As Arizona carried Sofia into her room wrapped in a towel, the corners of Callie's mouth twitched up at the squeal her daughter let out as the cold air hit her skin. The hint of a good mood was quickly squashed, however, as she thought about how the three of them used to share moments like these. By the time Arizona returned to the living room with their daughter, Callie was in full-on horror show mode.

Sitting Sofia next to her wife, Arizona carefully took a step away from the couch – and in essence, away from Callie – before righting the few items Callie's leg had knocked off the coffee table. She then refilled Callie's glass of water and placed her phone on the arm of the couch as Sofia chattered away animatedly.

Picking up her bag, Arizona ran a hand tiredly through her golden locks and let her eyes sweep over the apartment one last time before allowing her gaze to fall back on Callie. "Uhm... Just call if you need anything." She then leaned over the side of the couch and dropped a kiss onto Sofia's smiling face. "Bye, Little Miss. Be good for Mama. I love you so much." Arizona cleared her throat in an attempt to hide the crack in her voice as she continued. "Bye, Callie." Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out the door.

Callie glared at the door as she watched it swing shut. Never before had the sight of a door closing pissed her off so much, but she beat her emotions down and hid them away as Sofia bounced into her lap. With a cheesy grin, she planted a sloppy kiss on Callie's nose and then settled in for a snuggle. Callie couldn't help but return her daughter's grin as she wrapped her in a tight hug and hummed to her softly.

"I love you, Sofster," she purred softly into Sofia's hair before releasing her and reaching for the remote.

As soon as the television screen lit up, Sofia jumped up off the couch with a cheer. "Dora!" She yelled, as she watched Boots chase Swiper through the woods. "Yes, Dora," Callie answered with a laugh. They watched attentively as Dora instructed them on how to move logs and sing to trees in Spanish before Sofia started to nod off.

When Sofia's faint snores reverberated around the living room, Callie shifted her from her sprawled out position on the couch and into her arms. Bracing herself against the arm of the couch with her right hand, she tried to lift herself into a standing position but her botched ankle and her daughter's extra weight made it difficult to rise to her feet. Still, after much effort and some minor jostling of Sofia, Callie managed to right herself. After grabbing one of her crutches from where they were propped against the back of the couch and placing it under her right arm, Callie slowly made her way to her little girl's room.

Only with patience and perseverance did she then manage to get Sofia into bed. The raven-haired beauty was a wild sleeper and thrashed around during her mother's attempts to lay her down and tuck her in. Sofia tossed and turned atop her lilac sheets, whimpering while in the throes of a dream, but soft murmurs from Callie soon calmed her enough that she settled into her pillows and began to snore again.

With sweat on her brow, Callie stood up and turned, prepared to make her way to her own bed after a long day. It was not until the last minute that she realized, working with her new limited mobility, that she had overstepped and slammed her crutch into Sofia's bureau, the loud _clang_ echoing throughout the spacious room.

Callie cringed but did not move, silently hoping that Sofia had somehow slept through the noise. Her shoulders slumped in relief just as a high pitch wail rang through the air and she turned back around to see Sofia upright in bed, angry tears streaming down her red and heated face.

Shuffling over, Callie perched on the edge of Sofia's bed and lifted the little girl into her lap, rocking her gently. But Sofia would have none of it. "Mommy!" She screamed as she fought against Callie's hold on her.

"Shh, Sof, its okay baby girl. Go back to sleep."

"I want Mommy," she continued to cry, growing more agitated by the minute.

"Sof, Mommy is at work right now. Mama needs you to try and get some rest," Callie placated, desperately trying to reign in the irritation in her voice. Sofia continued to squirm in her lap so Callie set her back down on the bed and went about standing up again. Sofia climbed down from her bed and followed Callie into her room, still crying profusely. She scampered up onto the bed and curled into a ball on Arizona's side, burying her face in her mother's pillow as Callie sat on the other side and looked on in annoyance.

"Where's Mommy! I want Mommy!"

"Sofia. Mommy is busy and I need you to stop screaming."

Callie grit her teeth against the slow sting that began to build in her broken ankle as she rubbed soothing circles on her daughter's back. She was usually able to calm Sofia down, but as her earlier bad mood reared its ugly head once more, Callie found herself more and more unwilling to put up with Sofia's screams. However, she refused to make use of her other option and so decided to try something different.

Pulling off her battered Miami Dolphins t-shirt and chucking it over the side of the bed, she wrestled with Sofia for a moment before finally managing to lift her onto her chest. Callie removed Sofia's tear-stained pajama shirt and leaned back in her bed, Sofia's face resting against her chest. She silently prayed that the warmth of her skin and the beating of her heart would be enough to cajole her wailing daughter and for a while, it seemed to work. As she quieted gradually, Sofia clung to her mother and settled in, her breathing slowing until it evened out and soft snores emanated from her once more. She shifted on top of Callie after a few moments and grasped the fabric of Callie's tank top in her hand, balling it up in her fist. Callie sighed and sank further back into the plush pillows on her bed; she was exhausted. Her eyelids grew heavy and soon Callie found herself instinctively fighting off sleep. She wanted to put Sofia back in her own bed but didn't want to risk moving her just yet for fear that she might wake up again screaming. So she laid there as Sofia fidgeted every now and then, her eyelids closing more often than she would have liked.

"Mommy," she heard Sofia mumble in her sleep and Callie held her breath, waiting for some type of reaction. When none came, she exhaled and rubbed Sofia's back, her eyes sliding closed.

"Mommy!" Sofia screamed as Callie startled awake, nearly toppling Sofia from her chest. As she began to cry again, Callie winced at the throbbing pain behind her eyes.

"Sof Sof its-" Callie huffed as she cut herself off.

Sofia couldn't hear her. She wanted Arizona and that's all there was to it. Callie didn't want to call Arizona. She didn't want to look at Arizona or hear her voice. But what she did want was sleep and she couldn't accomplish that with Sofia crying in her ear. So tucking her feelings away and bracing herself against her daughter's shrieks, Callie lifted her phone from the bedside table and dialed.

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><p>As she waited patiently for the <em>ding<em> of the elevator to sound, Arizona was anxious and a bit tense. Callie had called her less than twenty minutes ago and her voice had been drowned out by Sofia crying. She could barely hear Callie over the noise but got the gist of the call and hung up. After closing a few files on her desk, Arizona had exited her office and left the hospital, hurrying across the street to comfort her little girl. Sofia usually had no problems sleeping through the night but every once in a while, she would wake up crying for one of them. Lately, it was Arizona that she always wanted.

Once the elevator doors opened, Arizona made her way down the hall to 502. She almost walked right in but hesitated at the threshold. She could hear Sofia's screams through the door but she heard nothing from Callie. Knocking once, she let herself in and called out.

"Callie, it's me."

She doubted Callie had heard her. She could barely hear herself over the din coming from the bedroom. Placing her laptop bag on the couch, Arizona made her way into the bedroom as quickly as her tired limbs would carry her. She didn't make it five feet into the room before Sofia propelled herself from the edge of the bed and into her waiting arms. Arizona scooped her up and held her tight, Sofia's arms and legs wrapping securely around her. She shot Callie an apologetic look before carrying Sofia into her own bedroom.

Sitting down on the toddler's bed, Arizona leaned back with Sofia on her chest, exactly the way Callie had a few hours earlier. Her daughter quieted immediately, curling into her and Arizona couldn't ignore the sheer satisfaction she felt at being able to calm her little girl so quickly and effectively. Sofia clutched at her mother's collarbone, undoubtedly searching for the pendant that usually hung there. Finding nothing, she instead grasped Arizona's finger and held on tight as her breathing slowed and her eyes drifted shut.

Within ten minutes of entering the apartment, Arizona was already settling Sofia into her bed and tucking her in. Murmuring to her softly, she placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead and then quietly exited the room, pride adding a bit of pep to her stride.

She found Callie back on the couch and wondered how she made it there without making a sound. She studied her for a moment and took in the bags under her eyes and the tension radiating from her body. Callie was wound tight, clearly frazzled from their daughter's outburst.

Approaching the couch, she inquired softly, "Do you need anything?"

Callie let her gaze fall on Arizona as her mind raced. She was tired and in pain, her nerves were shot, and she didn't want to deal with the whirlwind of emotions she felt when it came to Arizona. The brunette could feel her anger growing and clenched her jaw to keep from lashing out. Pushing herself up from the couch and grabbing her crutches, she barked, "I need pain meds and water. And I need you to make sure she doesn't wake back up because I can't get to her."

"Just go get comfortable in bed, ok?" she responded weakly, nodding. With her back to her, Callie propelled herself back into the room and perched on the bed. Arizona turned and grabbed Callie's medication and topped off her glass before heading into the bedroom they used to share.

Handing the pills and glass to Callie, Arizona waited patiently for her to take them before proceeding to arrange some pillows under her wife's ankle. The blonde knew from experience what was comfortable when it came to stretching out in bed with a broken limb.

"I'll take care of Sofia... Just try to get some rest. I'll just be…" After pausing for a moment, she pointed awkwardly to the living room and then retreated from the bedroom, leaving Callie to sleep or lie awake staring at the ceiling. She sank down onto the couch and sighed heavily before pulling some charts and her laptop from her bag. Fatigue settled over her but she stretched her spine and got to work, finding it relatively easy to ignore her body's need for sleep. She didn't sleep much anymore, or eat for that matter, changes that were not lost on her. All of the blonde's time and energy went to her patients and her little girl. They were all that mattered anymore. They were all she had left.

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><p><strong>AN: First and foremost, I would like to point out that all roads lead to Calzona.<strong>

**That being said, I know it seems that Callie is not being very nice at the moment, but if anyone's broken a bone, then you understand how miserable it is. And also how Callie must feel being dependent on a wife who broke her heart. Still, they both need to address their own issues and I think how they interact with each other is a good place to start.**

**Please let me know what you think! - E.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I know, I know. I haven't updated in forever. Sorry about that, but this chapter didn't want to get written. Thank you for the reviews, they're much appreciated! I take what you guys have to say seriously. To the guest reviewers who commented on my previous AN: I agree that cheating is not justifiable under any circumstances and the way I wrote my comment came out completely wrong. However, I've tweaked it to hopefully avoid further confusion.**

**Much gratitude to MaybeIShouldGetACat for putting up with my incessant whining about this chapter at odd hours of the day.**

**Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing from Grey's, I don't own anything.**

**Alright, picking up right where we left off. Enjoy!**

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><p>Callie glared at the ceiling as Arizona exited the room they used to share. She grunted quietly as the pain in her ankle intensified and radiated up to her calf but she couldn't help noticing that despite the ache, she was actually pretty comfortable on the bed. Arizona had propped her leg up just right… The brunette quickly switched her train of thought; she didn't want to think about Arizona.<p>

Instead, she let her eyes wander to the picture frame on the nightstand. It was a collage of pictures, most of which were of Sofia. In one, she and Sofia had taken a trip to the park and Callie had snapped a photo of her on the swing. Sofia was smiling mid-air, her eyes closed tight in glee. It was the first time she was on the swing by herself and she had loved it, giggling and screeching as the swing went higher and higher.

There was another of Sofia cradled in Mark's arms. She had on her "I heart my mommies" onesie and Mark was pressing a kiss into the downy soft hair on her head. As she studied the picture, she couldn't help but see Mark in her little girl's features. She missed him every single day and it hurt to remember that they would never see him again. As tears threatened, she squeezed her eyes shut before zeroing in on the next photo.

Callie loved all of Arizona's photos with Sofia but this one was probably her favorite. The blonde was seated in a rocking chair in their daughter's nursery, Sofia resting against her chest as she cooed to her. They were always so at peace around each other. She smiled as she remembered snapping the picture when Arizona wasn't looking. She was so wrapped up in her baby that nothing else mattered.

Her eyes wandered to the last photo in the collage and her smile faltered. It was one of the last pictures they had taken together, the day after Arizona told her they were pregnant. Callie had cooked dinner and then they cuddled on the couch, just enjoying the feel of each other.

_Callie rinsed their plates and then set them in the sink, drying her hands on a dish towel before making her way back into the living room. Seeing the goofy grin on her wife's face, she fell back onto the couch and pulled Arizona into her arms._

_"I'm so excited!" Arizona chirped as she allowed her body to settle against Callie's. "We're having another baby, can you believe it?"_

_"I-"_

_Arizona quickly, albeit unintentionally, cut her off. "Just imagine: ten tiny fingers and toes. And that baby smell!" _

_"Sofia smelled like heaven. Well when her diaper was clean. Is it weird that I used to sniff her?" _

_Arizona chuckled and turned her head slightly so that she could look up at Callie. "I used to sniff her all the time." At Callie's amused expression, she quickly continued. "She smelled so good, I couldn't help it! Whenever I held her I would hold one of her hands or feet to my nose and just...inhale. I can't wait to be able to do that again."_

_Before the brunette could respond, Arizona leaned forward and grabbed her phone from the coffee table. Holding it up, the screen flared to life as the camera's focus centered on them._

_"I want to remember this moment." Callie leaned in close and smiled as Arizona snapped the picture before quickly returning her phone to its place on the coffee table._

_As Arizona turned in her arms, Callie held her tighter and sighed, content. "I can't wait to be able to do that again either."_

_They relaxed and listened as raindrops pounded out a soothing pattern against the windows. After a few moments, Arizona tilted her head up and Callie, being completely in tune with her, leaned down and lightly brushed her lips against her wife's before breaking contact. The corners of Arizona's mouth turned up into a gentle smile as she leaned back in, pressing their lips together firmly. Callie's lips parted of their own accord and she sighed into Arizona's mouth as their tongues met. With Arizona cupping her cheek, the brunette threaded her fingers into Arizona's hair and held them tighter together, deepening their kiss. She felt her body respond as Arizona sucked her full bottom lip into her mouth and bit down. Callie hissed as they pressed their bodies together, the rise and fall of her chest meeting Arizona's breath for breath. As she settled between her legs, Callie's hand traveled down Arizona's back, resting firmly on the curve of her butt. After what felt simultaneously like eternity and the blink of an eye, Callie pulled back, inhaled, and gazed lovingly into her wife's eyes._

_"I love you, Calliope Torres." Arizona whispered as Callie eagerly captured her lips again._

Callie could hear her words as clearly as if Arizona had just uttered them.

Her brows furrowed and the ache in her ankle intensified as she recalled everything that happened after that. Flicking her eyes back up to the ceiling, she shut the door on that emotional rollercoaster and it was only then that she realized she needed to use the bathroom.

Bracing her arms against the mattress, the brunette pushed herself up into a sitting position and cringed when the movement tweaked her already protesting leg. She slowly swung her right leg over the edge and then her left, biting her lip in pain as her ankle held her weight while she reached for her crutches. Callie stood and maneuvered her crutches into position before finally lifting her foot off the ground. Taking a moment to compose herself, she clenched her groin muscles and began her trek to the bathroom.

Halfway there, and in her haste to make it in time, she overreached with her crutches and lost her footing. She hobbled and managed to catch herself but knocked her ankle and let out a yelp. Callie muffled a cry as pain shot up her leg and Arizona rushed through the door.

"What happened? Are you alright?" the blonde inquired, her face etched with a mix of worry and exhaustion.

"Do I look alright?" Callie snapped back.

Arizona swallowed before continuing. "Do you need something?"

"I need you to stop playing twenty questions and move out of the way, you're blocking the bathroom."

Callie stared at Arizona stonily as she waited for her to move, her jaw clenched in an effort to control her bladder. Once Arizona stepped from in front of the door, she continued into the bathroom but paused near the toilet.

"It helps if you lean them against the sink and use the bar to turn around and get situated." Arizona supplied, her voice sounding closer than a moment before.

Callie glared at the wall as her nostrils flared but the incessant pressure in her abdomen made her take the blonde's advice. Setting her crutches aside and using the sink as leverage, she made slow work of turning around and came face to face with Arizona, who guided her hand to the safety bar and then proceeded to pull her pants down.

"What the- Don't touch me!"

Taking a step back, Arizona regarded Callie with a small, sad smile.

"I'm sorry that this happened to you Callie."

"Yeah well karma's a bitch."

Callie watched as Arizona's smile vanished and her overwhelming exhaustion shown through. The flash of an emotion presented itself to her but she couldn't bring herself to care enough to examine what it was. The bathroom was crowded, too crowded for her liking and all she wanted was for Arizona to leave her alone. Hating the fact that they still seemed to be in tune, the brunette watched triumphantly as Arizona turned and left the bathroom, leaving her in peace to do her business. Callie knew Arizona wasn't far: she could hear her breathing on the other side of the door. But she was grateful for a moment to herself, however brief it might be.

Once her hands were washed, Callie grabber her crutches and left the bathroom. Just as she suspected, Arizona was right outside, waiting to help her get back in bed. Callie screamed mentally at the path life had decided to drag her down but let Arizona reposition her leg on the pillows. She willed her body to relax into the duvet as Arizona leaned forward and switched off her bedside lamp.

"I didn't ask you to turn out the light."

Even though she couldn't see her, Callie knew how Arizona would look. Body tensed. Jaw clenched. Movements somewhat rigid. Eyes pools of ice. But she couldn't care less. As the room lit up once again, Callie watched Arizona head for the door. Before she could cross the threshold, Callie's voice rang out.

"Arizona, bring Sofia here?"

"Yes, ma'am." Arizona grit her teeth and left the room, returning a few minutes later with a sound asleep Sofia in her arms. She tucked their daughter in next to Callie before straightening and continuing. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No." She stroked Sofia's hair and then looked up, their eyes locking. They stared at each other, Arizona's gaze void of all inflection, Callie's intense and filled with emotion. With a sneer, she answered again. "Actually, yes." Cocking her head to the side a bit, her voice was eerily calm as she asked, "Did you enjoy it?"

"No, I didn't."

"Don't give me that bull, Arizona, you enjoyed it. Didn't you."

Sofia began to fidget as waves off tension radiated off of Callie. Arizona perched on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair, willing her back to sleep. When she was sure their daughter was comfortable again, she reestablished eye contact with Callie. With a heavy sigh, she chose to allow herself to be completely vulnerable.

"She thought I was beautiful in spite of my-"

"Get out."

"Its no excuse but-"

"Get out. NOW."

"Callie you asked-"

"Arizona, get the hell out of here."

Resigned to her fate, Arizona sighed heavily, got up from the bed, and flicked off the light. Without glancing back, she strode from the room and shut the door.

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><p><strong>AN: I know, a little shorter than last time but I didn't want you all to have to wait any longer. Thoughts? Predictions? Lets hear it. – E.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So I seem to be really bad at updating on a regular basis but I promise I'm working on it. Plus the semester is finally over so updates should be much more frequent. I struggled a lot with this one, sorry if it seems off. Also, I've changed the rating to T but will bump it back up when necessary. Thanks CoralinaPlantain for encouraging me to get this chapter done. This is my belated birthday gift to you.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>As a few rays of light peeked through the window and hit her face, Callie groaned and shut her eyes tighter against the onslaught. Her head was pounding, she was overheated, and there was a tiny foot lodged in her side. As Sofia snored softly next to her, Callie wished she could find solace in slumber.<p>

She hadn't gotten much sleep last night due to Sofia's incessant fidgeting and her own racing thoughts. Always having been the type to overthink _everything_, Callie pressed her head firmly back into her pillow and allowed her thoughts to run rampant.

_Callie lounged across her bed as Arizona sat cross-legged in front of her, the purple and blue paisley sheets draped haphazardly across the front of her naked body in danger of falling and exposing her breasts to Callie's eager eyes. As the blonde giggled, Callie couldn't help but think of how infectious her laughter was. Even as she gorged herself on pizza and beer._

_"Calliope, you're staring."_

_"It's a beautiful sight." A grin tugged at her lips as she looked up at Arizona through her lashes. She watched as Arizona tilted her head in that way that made her pulse quicken. Strange. They hadn't known each other long enough for the blonde to be able to elicit that type of reaction from her. And yet, here she was. Heart beat picking up speed with each passing second._

_And then Arizona squinted at her. "You have freckles?"_

_"What?" Callie laughed._

_As she leaned closer, Arizona ran a gentle finger along the bridge of her nose and Callie's breath hitched at the contact. "You have freckles, Calliope. They're adorable."_

_She watched as Arizona's dimples made an appearance before she took another swig of her beer._

Callie remembered realizing in that moment how excited she was to see where what they had could go. An involuntary smile tugged at her lips as her thoughts carried her elsewhere.

_Callie crinkled her brow and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that the incessantly blaring noise interrupting her sleep was not her alarm. God help her if it was her alarm. She cracked her eyelids and waited a few seconds for her eyes to adjust. Darkness. A quick glance to the right told her that it was still nighttime. _

_3:18 am._

_ With a groan, she turned back over and smiled sleepily as Arizona burrowed further into her body and let out a content sigh._

_There was that damn noise again._

_"I'm gonna throw your alarm out the window." Arizona muttered against her chest._

_"It's not my alarm," came Callie's groggy response. With a grunt, the blonde stretched her body before plastering her front to Callie's and intertwining their legs. As the noise stopped abruptly, they both released relieved sighs, their breath mingling between them._

_But their reprieve was short lived as the noise started up again. Callie growled as Arizona jerked up off the bed and headed to the window. Throwing it open, she spotted the offending device and its owner. "Hey! Shut that thing off, my girlfriend is trying to sleep!_

_A distorted "Sorry, I haven't figured out how to work the alarm yet" floated up to the window._

_"Whatever. Just turn it off. Now." And with that, the blonde slammed the window shut. Callie scooted over so that Arizona could climb back into bed from the opposite side. So she definitely wasn't expecting it when Arizona collapsed on top of her. As she tried to roll her off, Arizona shook her head slightly and held on tight. Callie waited for Arizona to get comfortable on top of her before securing one arm around her waist and interlocking her free hand with Arizona's. "I made the bad man stop. Now you can sleep," she murmured sleepily into Callie's neck._

_And right then Callie knew that she loved Arizona._

Again, a smile tugged at her lips before Sofia's twitching foot quickly brought her back to reality. The smile vanished.

Finally mustering the courage to get out of bed, she moved Sofia's tiny foot from its place near her ribs and sat up. As pain shot up her leg from her sudden movements, she grit her teeth and slowly maneuvered her legs over the side of the bed and onto the floor. With a deep breath, she reached for her crutches and stood up, taking a few moments to find her balance. Callie glanced back at Sofia once more and then made her way to the bathroom. Relieving herself and then washing her hands, she crutched back into her bedroom to find Sofia awake and sitting up in the middle of the bed. Her hair stood up in odd places and she blinked sleepily, her thumb in her mouth. Despite how the previous day turned out, she couldn't help but beam at her little beauty. Sofia was the only thing that currently made sense in her world and she was determined to make sure that Sofia's world remained as close to normal as possible.

She watched as Sofia yawned and stretched atop the mattress before falling back against the comforter and snuggling into a pillow. Arizona's pillow. Callie quickly averted her eyes as the weight of the situation quickly came flooding back. With a deep breath she smiled at her daughter.

"Hungry Sof?"

She listened carefully for Sofia's response. When none came, she crutched back to the bed and leaned over her. The brunette reached out a hand and tickled Sofia's stomach, grinning as the little girl burst into a fit of giggles, her feet pin-wheeling in the air.

"Get up, sleepyhead. Time to go see Zola."

"Zola!" Sofia cheered as she sat up again. Then, as if realizing where she was for the first time, she looked around the room. "Mommy?"

Callie's face immediately morphed from gleeful to blank. "Mommy will get you ready to play with Zola, alright?"

When Sofia nodded, Callie turned as gracefully as possible and left her bedroom. And immediately stopped in her tracks. Arizona was asleep on the couch, her head propped up on her hand which rested on the armrest, her prosthetic still firmly in place.

Now that she thought about it, she had never actually heard Arizona leave the apartment last night. She watched Arizona breathe for a few moments before her feelings got the best of her and she rolled her eyes.

"Arizona, get up." Callie slowly made her way to the island in the kitchen as her leg continued to ache. Callie averted her eyes as Arizona jerked awake and mumbled, "Sofia is up."

Callie set about making a cup of coffee as Arizona lifted herself from the couch after checking her leg and hurrying into the room to tend to Sofia. Twenty minutes later, the brunette was still nursing her coffee as Arizona tucked Sofia into her highchair and made her a bowl of cereal. She was so focused on the hazelnut ambrosia in her mug that she startled when the blonde placed a bowl of cereal in front of her too. Before Callie could react further, Arizona had disappeared into their daughter's room to get Sofia's daycare bag. Another five minutes and she was back with the bag and scooping Sofia back out of her highchair.

"What time are you coming back?"

"Uh…I have a surgery at one. So around six?" Arizona responded before promptly walking out the door.

_What the hell just happened?_

Callie stood dumbly facing the door for another minute before the grumbling of her stomach reacquainted her with reality and she glanced down at the cereal in front of her. Deciding to forgo the soggy mush, she turned to the stovetop and retrieved a skillet. She slowly made her way around the kitchen, too engrossed in her thoughts to notice Arizona's bag still where she left it the night before.

Thinking about the past was too overwhelming but that's all she seemed to be able to do lately. For the life of her, she couldn't understand how her life had managed to take the turn it did and she wondered if everything she was going through was an act of punishment for something she did wrong in a past life. As if the universe found it not only appropriate, but necessary to turn everything she had worked for upside down.

She was not in favor of thinking herself the victim. Self-pity never got anyone anywhere. But the prospect of curling up in the fetal position on her bed and never moving was quite tempting, to say the least. And it definitely didn't help that the good things in her life, the reminders of everything and everyone that made her a better person, seemed overbearing and to be making a mockery of her current situation.

Arizona set her world on fire.

It was that simple. She had rolled into the hospital with her piercing blue eyes, dimples, and overwhelmingly perky demeanor, and taken possession of Callie's heart. And Callie had let her. Willingly. And it made sense because that's who Callie was. She loved fiercely and completely, openly and unapologetically.

But right now all she could feel was anger and rage. And pain. An unbearable searing pain that made her head foggy and her limbs heavy. The kind of pain that makes you scream bloody murder until the force of it drags you into unconsciousness and holds you captive for an indeterminate amount of time. Except she wasn't unconscious. She was aware of every single thing around her and the pain was unbearable.

Never had she felt about anyone the way she felt about Arizona. Which made the heartache that much worse. Callie loved Arizona irrevocably.

After George, she'd felt hurt and betrayed. Even jealous. Everything that she was currently feeling. But this was different. She and George had only been married for a short amount of time and at that point Callie was in an awkward place. And it hurt, of course it did. Surviving one bout of adultery was one thing. But two?

It didn't add up. Something just didn't make sense. As Callie watched her French toast cook, she wondered what she could have possibly done to deserve two cheating spouses. And what about Sofia? She didn't deserve any of the things she had been put through over the last few months and yet here she was, suffering nonetheless.

And now Callie's world was still on fire, but for a completely different reason. And there was nothing she could do but try not to suffocate as the flames danced around her.

* * *

><p>Arizona fidgeted before she was unceremoniously dragged into consciousness. Looking around frantically, eyes wide and wild with fear, she scanned her surroundings until it clicked in her head that she was on the couch in her office. Running a hand through her hair which was now damp with sweat, Arizona heaved a sigh and willed her heart rate to slow down.<p>

She couldn't keep going like this. It wasn't working. Nothing worked anymore.

As the lingering vestiges of her nightmare threatened to pull her into another panic attack, she leaned back against the cushions, focused on the ceiling and counted slowly to ten. The sound of her heartbeat roared in her ears and the blood vessels at her temples pulsed rhythmically as she tried desperately to remain calm. After her fourth set of ten and with no luck at slowing her heart rate, Arizona instead focused on inhaling slowly through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. Four hours in the OR after getting almost no sleep the night before and rounding on patients all morning was already doing her body in. Nightmares and panic attacks surely weren't helping.

Fifteen minutes passed before she felt well enough to relax and focus on something other than her breathing. Arizona's thoughts turned to the surgery she had performed a few hours earlier and a ghost of a smile flit across her face.

Arizona first met Tegan and her twin brother Taren two months ago when they were six months old. Taren was born with a unilateral incomplete cleft lip and Tegan with a bilateral complete cleft lip and palate. Two days before, Arizona and Jackson had operated on Taren to correct his cleft and he had sailed through like a trooper.

Tegan's surgery had been much more complicated. The clefts in both sides of her upper lip that extended into the roof of her mouth and interrupted her nasal cavity made eating and breathing difficult. At eight months old, Tegan was severely underweight which made dosing her anesthesia during the surgery difficult. Jackson was confident that he'd be able to correct Tegan's VPI relatively quickly despite its severity in order to minimize the risks of having her under anesthesia longer than her tiny body could handle. For a while it had been touch and go but finally, after four and a half tense hours, Tegan was safely in the PICU resting with Taren.

As she stared at her office ceiling, Arizona's thoughts turned to Sofia. She wasn't too much older than the twins and these surgeries always struck home. All she wanted to do was hold her little girl. Lifting her wrist and checking the time, she sighed and slowly lifted herself from the couch. She told Callie that she'd be back around six so she had just under a half hour left. The blonde gathered her files and flicked off the light before locking the door to her office behind her.

As she entered the daycare, she immediately picked up on Sofia's chatter and made her way over. Sofia was engrossed in what appeared to be a very important conversation with Zola. However, as soon as she saw her mother coming towards her, she popped up from her spot on the floor and ran full speed at Arizona's legs.

"Mommy!" She yelled as she collided with Arizona. Scooping her up, the blonde placed kisses all over her daughter's cheeks and gave her a giant squeeze. "Too tight," Sofia gasped before giggling as she was settled onto her mother's hip.

"Did you have fun today, baby girl?"

With a nod, Sofia wrapped her arms around Arizona's neck and rested her head on her shoulder. "Go home now?"

"Don't you want to say bye bye to Zola, Sof?" Lifting her head slightly, Sofia raised her hand and waved at Zola before resting her cheek back against her mother's shoulder. The blonde chuckled as she tapped Zola on the nose, eliciting a giggle from her, before grabbing Sofia's bag and heading out the door. "What's the matter, Sofia? You usually don't want to leave Zola."

When she didn't answer, Arizona decided to let her stew. She fastened her into her car seat once they made it to the parking lot before heading downtown in the direction of Callie's favorite Ethiopian restaurant.

After a few blocks of silence, she switched on the radio and Sofia let out a delighted giggle. "Mommy sing with me!" she said before promptly joining it with the tune pouring from the jeep's speakers. Arizona sang along quietly as Sofia sang at the top of her lungs and the blonde couldn't help but smile at her in the rearview mirror. She truly had the most adorable daughter in the world.

"Mommy?" Sofia asked as the song faded out.

Turning the volume dial to the left, she answered, "Yes, Sof?"

"Story time?"

"Sure, what would you like to hear, sweetie?"

"A princess story!" she yelled as she giggled again and made eye contact with her mother in the rear view mirror. "Mommy am I pretty like you? I want to be pretty like you and Mama."

Quickly flicking on her left blinker, Arizona pulled into a parking spot and put the jeep in park. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she snagged the keys from the ignition and got out of the car, sliding into the back seat beside Sofia's car seat. She then unfastened Sofia from her chair and waited until the little girl clambered into her lap.

"Did you know that you are the prettiest little girl I have ever seen, ever? You look just like your Mama." At her daughter's cheesy grin, Arizona squinted and contemplated before whispering conspiratorially, "Actually, I think you're prettier than Mama. But don't tell her I said that ok?"

As Sofia giggled in her lap, the blonde fell into the story of the princess in the forest. She told her of how the princess loved living in the forest and playing with her friends even though she got lonely sometimes. Of how one day, the princess went for a walk and met a new friend, and suddenly she wasn't lonely anymore. Then Arizona told Sofia of how the princess and her friend became so close that they decided to run away together and live happily ever after.

Once Sofia was safely back in her car seat and they were back on the road, the blonde stared out the window and took in the city that she now called home. Seattle was so different from most of the places she had lived in the past. Everything was just so…green. As she pulled back into traffic, she turned the radio back on and as Sofia sang along, she let her thoughts dissipate.

Thinking was too hard. It took too much energy and focus. Not feeling was monumentally easier.

"Mommy, when are you coming home?"

Sofia's innocent question pulled her back to reality and knocked the wind out of her simultaneously. She could do what mothers do and tell her daughter that she would be coming back home any moment. That everything was ok and would return to normal in the blink of an eye. She could lie. Because protecting Sofia was the most important thing in the world. Or she could be honest.

"Sweetie, I really don't know."

As she watched Sofia's face fall in the mirror, her heart shattered to pieces. Her beautiful, perfect little girl was suffering and the guilt was like a wrecking ball putting pressure on her chest.

This is how her life worked now.

She was drowning. And the pressure to stay afloat was almost too much to handle.

* * *

><p>With Sofia perched on her hip and a bag loaded with food in one hand, Arizona fumbled with her keys as she tried to unlock the door without dropping everything. Finally managing to stumble inside, she set her little girl down and carried the food over to the island in the kitchen.<p>

She avoided watching Callie sit sullenly on the couch and quietly got Sofia settled in her highchair and ready for dinner. Once Sofia was happily munching away, Arizona fixed Callie a plate and set it in front of her on the coffee table in the living room. When Callie didn't immediately make a grab for it, she stood there awkwardly and waited, hoping that hunger would get the best of Callie and she would give in and feed herself.

After what seemed like an eternity of just standing there and waiting, Arizona concluded that her presence probably wouldn't entice the brunette to eat so she turned around and spotted her bag leaning against the couch. Lifting it, she turned back to face Callie.

"Um so…I'll just be in my office. I'll be back at bath time." Arizona waited a beat, but when she got no response, she turned to head for the door. Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned back around as a small orange and white object was tossed in her direction. Catching it against her chest with one hand, she held it up and froze as her eyes landed on the label. Her cheeks flushed bright red as her gaze darted quickly to Callie's and then away.

When Callie continued to stare at her in stony silence, Arizona swallowed and, with a shaky hand, shoved the pill bottle back into her bag.

"It's um…Zoloft. For…PTSD and nightmares." With a shuddering breath, she allowed her eyes to track back up to the brown eyes watching her. Brown eyes that were curiously blank. Being able to read Callie's expressions, especially her eyes, was a skill that Arizona had very proudly honed over the course of their relationship. But right then, she couldn't get a read on what Callie was feeling or thinking. It was as if she was purposely maintaining a neutral expression specifically to hide her emotions. And that scared Arizona the most.

Batting her eyelashes a few times and rolling her eyes up to the ceiling to keep her tears at bay, the blonde swallowed once more before turning as quickly as her prosthetic would allow and walking out the door.

* * *

><p>When Arizona let herself into the apartment a few short hours later, she was paler than ever. Callie watched silently as Arizona rounded the couch and lifted Sofia from next to her and carried her into the bathroom for her bath.<p>

She listened from her spot on the couch to their animated conversation about princesses and forests and felt a pang of jealousy. Bath time used to be something they did together with Sofia. Now it was solitary and her cast meant no enjoying bath time with her daughter. Before long, Callie heard Sofia's tell-tale squeals and knew Arizona had just removed her from the tub. It wouldn't be too long now. A little while later, Arizona made her way out of their daughter's room and back into the front room.

"She's down. I'll be at the hospital. Just call me if you need anything."

"…Arizona…" Callie answered, but before she could say anything else, she was quickly cut off.

"Just call, okay?" Arizona pleaded as she headed for the door.

"But Ariz-"

Callie watched as the door slammed shut behind the blonde's retreating form and anger flared within her anew. This was going to be an incredibly long six weeks.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thoughts? - E. <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Whoa, an update in less than three months, lol. Thank you all for your reviews, follows, and favorites! It is greatly appreciated. I'm sorry for the long delay but I've been incredibly busy lately. Anyway, here's the next chapter and it's the longest one yet. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Callie sat chewing at the inside of her lip, staring at nothing and wondering how long she had remained in the same spot. Being stuck within the confines of her apartment was driving her crazy.<p>

Absolutely batshit insane.

Very few people had come to visit within the past month, although she wasn't really expecting anyone to. They were world-class surgeons, after all. But still. Spending the majority of her days alone was nerve-wracking and unfulfilling.

Aside from the occasional call or email from one of her residents about a particularly difficult case – which had been happening a lot lately – or to rant about the incompetent interim Head of Orthopedics Hunt had hired while she was out – which was even more commonplace than the difficult cases – most of Callie's stimulation came from interacting with Sofia and Arizona, Netflix, and reading over case files and journal articles.

Most of the case files in her possession were a bit older than she would have liked and while the articles she was keeping up with were new and up to date, there wasn't much to be excited about. She was at the innovative forefront of her field, and even though there were other surgeons and researchers working on projects that could potentially alter the course of orthopedic medicine, nothing was quite as exciting as the things she had been working on.

It was when the words started blending together on the screen or on the page that she would usually turn her attention to Netflix. But that never really lasted long.

Sofia kept her fairly busy the first few weeks as toddlers require copious amounts of attention and supervision. But there was only so much Dora the Explorer and Team Umizoomi that Callie could handle. Though she hadn't gotten tired of Little Einsteins or Sid the Science Kid just yet and Sofia absolutely _loved_ the shows, so she suffered through them more often than not.

Which left Arizona. Things had been understandably tense between them since the night Callie had found Arizona's Zoloft. Eventually she'd gotten Arizona to pause long enough for her to apologize. And while Arizona had accepted her apology, it hadn't really changed much about the way they interacted with each other.

But Arizona had taken to bringing her charts and scans to look over when she got kids who needed ortho procedures. And then Arizona took her to get her walking boot six days ago and her newfound freedom of movement, however miniscule, excited her.

Glancing around the apartment, she got up and headed into the kitchen, opening and closing cabinets and the fridge, but continuously coming up empty. Sofia slept like a rock so she wasn't worried about the noise she was making waking her up.

Looking around, she spotted her phone on the counter and quickly grabbed it. Going through her contacts, she spotted a familiar number, glanced at the time, and dialed.

When a tired but familiar voice picked up on the other end, Callie forwent all pleasantries. "What time are you going on lunch?"

_"I'm off today so whenever I feel like eating, why?"_ the voice answered from the other end.

"I need a favor, it shouldn't take too long. Actually, if you go now, that would be great," Callie responded, the slightest twinge of desperation coloring her voice. When she didn't hear anything from the other end of the line, "Please, I-"

_"Alright, alright. What do you need?"_

Callie released a sigh of relief. "Got a pen?"

* * *

><p>The last month had been more or less uneventful. They had tiptoed around each other for the majority of the time. Well, as best one can tiptoe with a walking boot and prosthetic. And while she was thankful for the reprieve in that aspect of her life, work had been a different story. Arizona had lost more patients in the last ten days than she could remember ever losing in such a short span of time. Losing patients was always hard, but when it was a child, it was a special brand of torture. She'd had to inform the parents of thirteen children that their lives would never be the same.<p>

And now the universe – or whatever beings or forces that were floating around in the cosmos and wreaked havoc on people's lives – was laughing at her. Whatever or whoever it was, it was definitely cackling with glee.

Never one to give in to the addictive qualities of self-pity, Arizona sent up a silent "screw you" to the universe and went about what she was doing, rolling her eyes as her stomach grumbled.

Though she had learned quite a bit from Callie over the years, Arizona still wasn't too fond of cooking and so she often found herself bringing home take-out so her girls could eat. _Home_. Their apartment was still her home, even if it didn't feel like it much anymore.

Her office was beginning to feel more and more like where she belonged because if she wasn't tending to Sofia or Callie, she was in her office charting or researching procedures to help her tiny patients. It was easier than the alternative: thinking and reflecting.

It was quiet. In her office, she was capable of keeping her mind quiet.

As soon as her thoughts began to stray, she would give herself a small shake and refocus on whatever task was at hand. Currently, she was reviewing the labs for a newborn with a diaphragmatic hernia who was due for surgery in an hour. Arizona had to intubate her immediately after delivery as the little girl was unable to breathe on her own. As she flipped through her young patient's chart, a knock sounded at the door before April popped her head into the doorway.

"Dr. Robbins, Bailey is looking for you."

Glancing up, she replied, "What does she need?"

April quickly looked up and down the hallway behind her before stepping fully into the office and closing the door with a soft click. "I'm pretty sure she wants first assist on your diaphragmatic hern-"

"That's fine with me. Tell her-"

"Dr. Robbins, if I may…"April sighed before approaching the blonde. "I'd really like in on the surgery. And I know this one in particular is more Bailey's field of expertise than mine but I'd really like to be first assist."

Checking her watch, Arizona leaned back slightly in her chair before looking back up at Kepner. "You're right. This is Bailey's area of expertise, not yours. So why the burning need to be my first assist?"

As April averted her gaze and twiddled her thumbs, Arizona studied her closely for a moment before proceeding to speak. But April cut her off.

"With everything that's happened in the last few months, I just – it's not my place to judge and I try my best to steer clear of being judgmental. But things like this? It changes people. You've…you're different. You've changed in lots of ways. And I know from experience that it doesn't – not that I've ever chea – I just…" With a sigh, April took a deep breath before refocusing on the blue gaze before her. "It doesn't hurt to have someone in your corner. To help cope…with the changes."

The blonde leaned back and rested her full weight against her chair. As awkward and untimely as this little encounter was proving to be, she couldn't help but feel a small spark of…_something_…for her fellow surgeon. Gratitude? Maybe. But did she even have the right to feel that? She wasn't completely sure. Suppressing the tiniest of smiles, Arizona got up from her desk, gathered her files, and headed to the door, April hot on her heels.

"Dr. Robbins!" Bailey called from down the hall as she hurried toward her coworkers. "If you're looking for a first assist for your diaphr-"

"Thank you Bailey, but I've already got a first assist. Kepner, make sure the patient is prepped. I'll see you in the OR in half an hour." Turning on her heel as best as her prosthetic would allow, Arizona walked off down the hall of her ward in the opposite direction before the shrill ringing of her phone caught her attention. Ignoring Bailey's grumbling as she went about her business, the blonde returned to her office and grabbed her phone from her desk. Glancing at the screen, she did a double take as she mumbled a very uncharacteristic "shit" and accepted the call.

The universe was most certainly laughing.

* * *

><p>"My arms are killing me."<p>

"Stop whining, Wilson. Surgery is more grueling than carrying groceries. Unless you can't handle the heat?"

"Oh I can handle it. But you try carrying all this stuff up five flights of stairs. Oh wait, you can't. You broke your ankle stepping off a curb," Jo teased.

"I was avoiding a speeding car! But we used to carry stuff upstairs all the time. It's no big deal, so stop the whining."

Jo unceremoniously rolled her eyes. "Are you throwing a dinner party or something? Because if you are, I'm definitely invited," she quipped from her spot on the counter where she was guzzling a bottle of beer.

"Don't you think it's a little bit early for beer?" Callie inquired.

"Don't you think you should give people more than a few hours' notice for a dinner party?" Jo shot back.

"What makes you think I'm throwing a dinner party, Wilson?"

"Are you kidding? No one buys this much food unless they're planning an event and I want in. Plus, it's never too early for beer. It's five o'clock somewhere, right?"

Callie sighed and smirked as she shook her head. "I'm not planning or throwing anything, I'm decompressing. Hand me the garlic."

As Jo grabbed one of the cloves from the counter and handed it over, she asked, "So what are you making anyway?"

"Lamb chops marinated in herbs and garlic over a bed of rice pilaf and fresh spinach," Callie answered with a grin.

Looking around her, Jo gawked at all the groceries she managed to carry up to Callie's apartment. By herself. "You had me get _all_ this stuff so you could make _one_ dish? And it's not even noon."

"The alcohol has clearly gone straight to your head. Of course not. This is just the first one." When Jo's brow crinkled, Callie continued. "When I'm stressed, I cook to help me process."

_Callie slammed the front door and stormed angrily through her parents' foyer into the formal sitting room and quickly made her way through the house. Though not quickly enough as the idle threats she directed toward her tear ducts did nothing to stop the flow of tears down her cheeks. Avoiding the dusting maids as best she could, the brunette cut through the east hallway, through the billiards room, past her father's cigar room, and headed toward the conservatory._

_Shutting and locking the door behind her, she leaned against it and allowed her head to fall back against its wood panels. Never before had she been as thankful as in that moment that the room was soundproof. Sinking slowly to the sleek, hardwood floor, she sobbed into the hood of her sweater._

_Wearing your heart on your sleeve was both a blessing and a curse and she, quite unfortunately, was learning that the hard way. The brunette wasn't popular – though popularity had never been a concern for her – but when people had started showing interest in her, when her body had begun to change, she embraced it, albeit hesitantly and cautiously._

_The brunette knew that she wasn't the most welcoming or easy-going girl, but she had also learned that once comfortable, she blossomed. And at the tender and impressionable age of sixteen, she was just beginning to find herself. Whether it was at school, within her family's hierarchy, or on the floor, where she had stretched out as the sobs continued to wrack her body._

_She had no idea how long she laid there. It could have been seconds. It could have been hours. But when she finally cracked her eyelids, she became aware of a hand stroking her hair softly and Aria's unmistakable humming. And somehow, her head had ended up in her sister's lap. She tried to speak, but cleared her throat a few times when all that came out was a croaky rasp._

_"How did you find me?"_

_Aria stopped her humming but continued to trail her hand through her older sister's thick hair. "I was in the kitchen with Cece when you cut through the hall. The door was locked so I got in on the dumbwaiter."_

_Callie sniffled and wiped her eyes with her sleeve before sitting up to lean her head on Aria's shoulder. "How long was I in here?" she asked quietly._

_"Twenty minutes before I came in. We've been in here for over an hour," Aria responded without any inflection. Callie recognized this as Aria's way of giving her time to open up. But she didn't want to talk._

_"Distract me, please?" Callie pleaded softly. After a moment, Aria rose to her feet and held her hand out. Taking it, Callie allowed her sister to pull her to her feet and out of the conservatory to the kitchen._

_"Cece was showing me how to make _ossobuco _and _ciabatta_ bread from scratch," Aria chirped excitedly._

_A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of Callie's lips, "Mmm, Italian for dinner."_

_As they walked into the kitchen, Callie let her hand run along the white granite countertops. She never really liked her parents' kitchen. All the sparkling surfaces and stainless steel appliances – and the pots and pans, and things she had no idea what to call – and all the _space_…they were great. It truly was a fantastic cooking space. But it just wasn't for her. Still, that didn't stop her from admiring how Cece navigated the kitchen with ease._

_"_Ciao_, Ms. Callie –"_

_"Cece, please, I hate when you call me that. Just Callie, ok?" As Cece nodded with a smirk, Callie propped herself on a stool at the island in the middle of the kitchen. "Do you need help?" Callie asked halfheartedly as Aria washed her hands and then sat next to her and resumed dicing vegetables. She was content to sit and watch until Cece placed a bowl of…_stuff_ in front of her. Staring at it, she asked, "What the heck is this?"_

_"It's the bread dough. Can you knead it for me, please?" Cece asked distractedly._

_"Can't you just use the mixer for this?"_

_"Absolutely. But you asked if I needed help, so there you go. Besides, I learned how to make it without the use of a mixer. It tastes better this way, trust me."_

_"Iphie, stop whining and just do it," Aria glanced at her with a playful scowl before turning back to her task. "Who knows? You might even enjoy it."_

_The brunette grumbled unintelligibly and rolled her eyes as she got up to wash her hands. She then sat back down and hesitated before sticking her hands into the dough. Grimacing at the feel of it, Callie hunkered down and began working it with her hands. It was wet and sticky and lumpy. And incredibly tough to work with. She groaned and stuck her tongue out at Aria as Cece hid her smirk. Callie was determined to make sure they knew she didn't want to do it._

_She wouldn't, however, let them know how much she was enjoying working with her hands._

Callie was suddenly aware of a snapping sound and focused on Jo's fingers snapping frantically in front of her face. "Huh? Oh, sorry. It's actually really therapeutic but lately I haven't had the time to do it. I guess this boot is useful for something after all. Though I may have gone a bit overboard this time. But then again, I haven't been this stressed out…like, ever."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No, I want to cook. But you're welcome to sample whatever I make once I'm finished." Callie watched as Jo's face lit up.

"Thank goodness because I'm starving."

* * *

><p>"Amy, I can't talk right now. I'm headed into surgery."<p>

_"Convenient, don't you think? Go. Save lives. I'll be expecting your call later."_

"I know. I gotta go. I'll call you back." Without allowing time for a response, Arizona ended the call and rolled her eyes. "Shit, shit, shit!"

Arizona was on autopilot as she sat over the abdominal cavity of her tiny patient. Despite everything running through her head at the moment, she was beyond confident in her ability to provide adequate care for the little girl in front of her. It was because of this fact that she allowed herself to think about her impending phone call.

Amy could not have called at a worse time. And if the blonde was being honest with herself – which she was definitely trying to do now more than ever before – she had absolutely, one hundred percent, been avoiding Amy. Because she knew what was waiting for her once she picked up the phone.

A world of hurt.

Although, she couldn't help but wonder about said world of hurt. Arizona was by no means a glutton for punishment. However, she also knew when she needed a dose of tough medicine. And a double dose Amy would surely give her.

While applying mesh to the hole in her patient's – Leila's – diaphragm, Arizona thought back to the time she showed up on her brother's doorstep in New York when she was seventeen and how they had placated her bout of rebellion for a week until Amy sent her packing, scolded and upset. Unbidden, a smile tugged at Arizona's lips. She hated and loved Amy more in that moment than ever before and looked to her for advice and tough love when the situation called for it.

Now, though, she wasn't quite sure she was entirely ready to hear what Amy had to say. Especially after she found out. Arizona wasn't even completely sure that after their conversation, Amy wouldn't book the first flight to Seattle and – albeit, lovingly – lecture her in person. In most instances, she felt as if she and Amy were equals. They were barely four years apart in age and the difference never burdened their relationship.

Except when Amy was dishing out tough love.

And Arizona's deep-seated authority issues didn't help the matter, were both big softies at heart; Amy's shell was just much more fortified, and therefore, harder to crack. Still, she couldn't help the unease that was beginning to settle in the pit of her stomach.

She loved her sister in-law dearly and knew she always meant well. She could be incredibly understanding but sometimes…sometimes, she was just too much to handle all at once.

"Close for me please, Kepner, and then update Leila's parents. If they have any questions, I'll be in my office."

April nodded and set to work as Arizona left the OR and proceeded to scrub out. Once in her office, she settled in her chair and took a deep breath before picking up her cell and dialing Amy. She picked up after the third ring, like clockwork.

_"I was beginning to think you weren't going to call me back."_

"I told you I would," Arizona replied.

_"How many times have I heard that before?"_

"Obviously quite a few times but I always call you back."

_"Until recently." _Hesitating, and knowing Amy could sense it, she exhaled gratefully as Amy changed the subject. _"How's my niece?_

"She's perfect, Ames. Growing like a weed, and definitely the smartest toddler I know. And she's gorgeous just like her mother." Hoping that Amy didn't pick up on the way her voice tweaked toward the end, she plowed on. "There's still six months left before her birthday but I wanted to start planning her party now. Do you think it's too early?"

_"She's only going to be three. Why would you need six months to plan a party for a three year old?"_

"Six months flies by really quickly. I swear she was an infant just yesterday. But I'll hold off for a bit longer. How's my nephew?"

Timmy was her pride and joy, right after Sofia.

The blonde was in her fourth year of residency at Johns Hopkins when she received the news that her brother was going to be a father. Her good-natured, silly, and at times immature older brother was going to be responsible for the life of a child. His_ own_ child. She'd been equal parts excited and terrified. They'd shared their lack of desire for children, but as soon as Amy had gotten pregnant, Tim became almost unrecognizable. And while she was exceedingly happy for Tim and Amy, Arizona still could never see herself with kids of her own. Until now, of course.

Still, she doted on Timmy as an infant and toddler, never missing a birthday or holiday. But once she finished her fellowship and the demands of her job increased tenfold, it became much more difficult to keep up with everything. And now, the blonde was lucky if she got to see her nephew in person once a year.

_"He's actually kind of upset with you right now, Doc. And frankly, I don't blame him."_

"What? Why?"

_"He hasn't heard from you since New Year's Eve. And he knows that you're busy, what with saving the world and all, but he's only nine and he misses you like crazy."_

Checking her watch, Arizona heaved a sigh. "Is he there right now?"

_"Unfortunately, no. He's spending the night at a friend's house. He won't be back until tomorrow but I will definitely tell him you called."_

"No, don't. I want to surprise him. Just shoot me a text once he's back and settled, ok?"

_"Will do, I think that will really make his day. Lately you've been all he talks about. Which really isn't different from any other day, but you know how kids are. How did your surgery go?"_

"Considering everything, it went really well."

_"You know I'd ask, but of course, you can't tell me anything."_

"You can ask anyway, Ames."

She pictured Amy rolling her eyes as a sigh rang out through the receiver, _"Considering?"_

"Considering everything. But I can't say anymore." A laugh erupted from Arizona's throat at the long, drawn-out, and somewhat exasperated sigh that emanated from Amy. "You fall for that every time. Like clockwork."

_"Like clockwork. Hey, where's Callie? She usually interrupts our calls by now…or are you still at the hospital?"_

Fidgeting and picking imaginary lint off her white coat, the blonde mumbled, "I'm still at the hospital. Callie is home with Sofia today."

_"It's about time at least one of you got a day off – "_

"She fractured her ankle last month so she'll be getting a lot of time off."

_"The orthopedic surgeon breaks her ankle."_

"Don't let her hear you say that. She wouldn't find the irony funny. At least not right now. Maybe once it's healed, though. But yeah, they're there and I'm here."

Knowing that Amy could sense how off she was, she waited patiently for what she knew was coming. She didn't have to wait long.

_"Are you going to tell me why you've been avoiding my calls, Doc?"_

And there it was. Time to face the inevitable.

The blonde sighed heavily into the receiver, hoping that she had the energy to make it through the remainder of the call in one piece. Better to just dive right in. Rip the Band-Aid off, so to speak. She steeled herself and proceeded.

"Four months ago, May seventeenth to be exact, I slept with another woman. I cheated on my wife."

* * *

><p>"MCnevonv idjsovndo – "<p>

"Words, Wilson, use your words."

Callie watched with a smirk as Jo rushed to swallow the food in her mouth. "That was literally the best catfish I have ever had in my entire life."

"Your entire life. Really," Callie deadpanned.

"My entire life! I want more!"

"It's not finished yet. And stop yelling before you wake Sofia. She's always cranky when she wakes up."

"Sorry," she mumbled as she held out her plate for more. Callie laughed as she rotated on her stool back towards the stove. The pitter patter of tiny feet alerted her to Sofia's presence before the little girl made her appearance in the kitchen, hair standing on top of her head and her pajamas in disarray. She walked over to Jo and held her arms up, settling into her arms as Jo picked her up.

"I hope you're aware that she won't let you put her down now."

"But how am I supposed to eat?" Jo stage-whispered over Sofia's head.

"You have two hands, multitask."

With a slightly frustrated sigh, Jo shifted her hold on the little girl and scooted further back onto the counter, Sofia's head lolling against her shoulder. She used her right hand to pick up her fork and her left to support Sofia's weight, stopping the fork's ascent to her mouth when Sofia whimpered against her chest. As Callie hummed happily to herself by the stove, Jo dropped her fork and placed the back of her hand against Sofia's cheek. "She feels kinda warm, Callie."

As she prodded the fish in the pan with tongs, Callie turned her attention to her daughter. "You feeling alright Sofster?" When all she got was a whimper in response, Callie turned off the stovetop and held her arms out for her daughter, Sofia immediately falling into Callie's arms and burrowing her head into the crook of her mother's neck. Sofia's overheated and flushed skin confirmed what she was thinking. "You don't feel well, little miss?"

"Mommy calls me that," Sofia mumbled as her eyes slid shut.

"I should probably head out," Jo commented awkwardly as she watched a myriad of emotions flit across her mentor's face. "Do you need anything else before I go?" she asked as Callie stood with Sofia cradled in her arms.

"The children's Motrin is in the cabinet in her bathroom. Could you grab it please?" The brunette settled onto the couch as Wilson headed into Sofia's room to retrieve the medicine, returning a moment later with the bottle of orange liquid and a glass of water. "Thanks Wilson. Feel free to help yourself to whatever food you want on your way out."

Trying desperately to hide her grin, Jo murmured a "thank you" and went back into the kitchen, piling as much food as she could into the two biggest Tupperware containers she could find. She then put the rest of the food away and cooed to Sofia before saying her goodbyes to Callie and closing the door to the apartment behind her.

* * *

><p>Arizona's shift was scheduled to end at six that evening. And as her residuum was swelling inside the socket of her prosthetic, she cursed her seemingly bad luck for the hundredth time that day.<p>

She'd expecting yelling.

Angry ranting of some sort.

What she hadn't been prepared for was the silence that echoed over the phone. Or the dial tone that sounded shortly thereafter.

And she most certainly was not expecting her phone to ring.

But then she was paged 911 to the NICU and as she got up to leave her office, Amy's ringtone sounded shrilly. Ignoring it, she'd rushed down the hall as quickly as her tired body could carry her, only to find that the mesh covering the hole in Leila's diaphragm had ripped and she had profuse internal bleeding. Luckily, though, Karev made it to Leila first because the blonde then received a page to the pit for an incoming MVC.

Bennett, her incoming patient, was a fourteen year old boy who had been clipped by an SUV and the entire right side of his body was mangled. Hunt was wheeling the boy into the elevator by the time Arizona made it to the pit and both Leila and Bennett were pulled into opposite ORs simultaneously.

She'd spent the next one hundred seventeen minutes working desperately with Hunt to stop Bennett's internal bleeding until a call from across the hall pulled her into Karev's OR.

Despite his talent and skill, the fellow couldn't contain the bleeding and so Arizona stepped in, just barely managing to repair the tears in Leila's diaphragm and reattach a thinner, more lightweight sheet of mesh over her thoracic defect.

Karev took over closing Leila up as Arizona ripped off her gown and gloves and headed back across the hall, only to stop in the doorway of the scrub room as she heard Hunt murmur, "Time of death: nine thirty-nine."

Fourteen.

Bennet O'Hara brought her total to fourteen.

She hung her head and immediately left in search of Bennett's parents. Telling them that they would never see their son again was all a blur. The sobs and pleas. His mother's incessant wailing. All of it was a blur.

The blonde vaguely registered Hunt and Karev talking to her but the next thing she knew, she was staring at the ceiling in her office and her phone was ringing again.

Instead of picking it up, she tossed it into the bottom of her bag and slugged on her jacket, slowly making her way across the street.

Which was how she found herself outside the apartment at almost a quarter past eleven.

There were no sounds coming through the door so she pulled out her key, unlocked the door, and stopped in her tracks.

Callie was sprawled out on the couch, her left leg encased in its walking boot flung over the couch's arm, Sofia laying on her chest. Arizona closed and locked the door as quietly as she could and then set her bag down on the floor, moving further into the room. She didn't have much time to wonder why Sofia was mostly naked except for the panties she had on, or why Callie was similarly dressed with the exception of a sport's bra as the medicine on the coffee table more or less clued her in.

The blonde sat on the opposite arm of the couch and watched them sleep. Sofia's hair was fanned out against Callie's neck and her head rose and fell with each of Callie's breaths, her tiny hand resting innocently on Callie's right breast with Callie's right hand cradling her back.

In a perfect world, she could have watched them forever. But they were occupying her sleeping space, so she unfortunately had the daunting task of waking Callie up.

"Callie. Cal, wake up," she spoke softly as she gently shook Callie's shoulder, careful not to wake her daughter. "Calliope, wake up."

"Hmm?" the brunette mumbled sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.

"Come on, up."

Callie opened her eyes and looked at Arizona, only half awake. With a smile, she sighed, "You're finally home."

Arizona ignored the twinge in her stomach and smiled tightly back at her wife. "Yes, I'm here. I'm going to put Sofia in bed, alright?" As Callie mumbled her consent, Arizona lifted their daughter into her arms and carried her into her room, rocking her slightly so that she would remain asleep.

When she returned to the living room, Callie was still spread out on the couch with her back pressed into the cushions. As she heard Arizona approaching, Callie opened her arms and patted the space on the couch in front of her. "Lay with me."

The blonde froze and stared at Callie, who was still half asleep.

This is what she wanted, to be held by her wife. To cuddle on the couch. Some type of physical connection between them.

But as much as her body was begging her to curl up on the couch and let Callie spoon her, her mind refused to let her move.

Giving in would be taking advantage and her needs were on the backburner. This was about Callie and Sofia. And Callie waking up to find herself wrapped intimately around Arizona would not end well for either of them.

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head even though the brunette couldn't see her. "Callie, I can't. But you should get up and go get in – "

Arizona jumped slightly and Callie startled awake as her phone started to ring. Groping across the coffee table, Arizona watched as Callie checked the screen and then brought the phone to her ear as her own pager went off.

911.

Again.

"Wait, wait. Calm down. I can't understand – Aria slow down!"

Arizona made eye contact with Callie and then raised her eyebrows. It wasn't unusual for Aria to call Callie late at night but it was almost three in the morning in New York and Aria had never called this late before.

"I have to take this," the blonde stage-whispered to the brunette as she headed back towards the door. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Is everything alright?" she heard Callie ask Aria as she closed the front door.

With renewed energy, Arizona took the elevator downstairs and hurried across the street to the hospital, foregoing her office to change closer to the pit. But when she got to her destination, it was quiet.

"I was paged 911, where's my patient?"

"The roof," a nurse called to her from the nurse's station.

Confused, she asked, "The roof?" as she headed, yet again, for the elevator.

When the doors slid open on the roof, she was hit by a powerful gust of wind from a helicopter's propellers as Kepner and Karev rushed toward her with a gurney.

"What have we got?"

"Jesse, five year old girl with penetrating…"

The little girl reached out towards her with a shaking hand and Arizona's attention immediately switched from April to the child on the gurney; grasping her hand, she tried her best to provide comforting words as she finally looked down at Jesse.

Light grey eyes stared back at her and she was shocked by how clear they were. And how, despite the grey eyes and light brown hair, she looked very much like…Sofia.

_Jesse. _

"Jesse, do you remember me?"

As the little girl shook her head slowly, the elevator doors opened onto the surgical floor and two nurses wheeled her into the OR as Arizona, April, and Alex rushed into the scrub room.

"You know the patient?" April asked as she grabbed a scrub brush and proceeded to scrub her hands and forearms.

Arizona didn't answer right away. She was too shocked to pay attention to April and Alex as they continued to ask her questions.

This was really happening.

"She's my niece. Well, Callie's niece…my niece," she answered before backing away from the sink and heading into the OR.

As a nurse gowned and gloved her, she took a deep breath and shelved her exhaustion as well as her emotions.

There was absolutely no way in hell she would allow Jesse to be number fifteen.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>**Let me know what you're thinking! – E.**


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